Posted by Steven on 7/3/2012, 11:04:08, in reply to "Re: Room"
76.186.47.15
I enjoyed the book until the part after the escape when it seemed like the author had spent all this time building up psychological barriers to Jack's acclimatization to reality, only to let them fall with ridiculous ease in the rush to a happy ending.
I've read other comments about Room that agree with my feelings--the first half was better than the last, and the longer I'm away from the book the lower my opinion of it.
The breast feeding is one of several issues that seems like it's going to be a big deal, but then just sort of goes away. I suppose Sharon (her name is mentioned only once, I believe) did this so she wouldn't get pregnant again, but there's no explanation given. (Extended breast feeding has long been a common practice in rural China, by the way, and authors Ma Jian and Mo Yan have both written stories about boys being breastfed past puberty.)
For a while I thought the author was going to build on the theme of Jack's learning a language with so little exposure to its material foundations. But this idea seems only to be used as a source of humor.
I suppose the point the author wants to make is that Jack has an easier time adjusting to his new world than his mother does in re-adjusting to the world she already knew. I have a hard time thinking that would be the case.
I guess Room is following a trend of child-narrator books: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Life of Pi, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
It's interesting that an author born in Ireland and living in Canada chose to set this novel in the U.S. She makes one barbed comment about the U.S. keeping people in solitary confinement for years, so perhaps the choice of setting is a political statement.
--Previous Message--
: Very funny, Guillermo! You nailed it right on the head.
:
: As the psychologist of our group, I can't help but
: wonder just how messed up Jack is going to be. First,
: he did not pass through the two-year-old
: separation-individuation stage. He maintains the
: infantile maternal dyad. Breast feeding a
: five-year-old struck me as extremely creepy. Which
: leads me to the other major improperly resolved
: conflict. This kid has a genuine Oedipal situation.
: He is involved in a quasi-sexual romance with his
: mother complete with the breast fixation and little
: erections. And Father really will kill him--that's
: not juvenile fantasy. Except he vanquishes Father and
: keeps Mother. Yikes!
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I'm reading Book. It has zillions of pages, but no
: pictures. When I'm tired I get some. I have been in
: Room for years and years. When I'm hungry, Wife brungs
: me yucky defatted chicken broth. Then I talk on the
: phone with Doctor. Ma has arrived from Outside to help
: take care of me. I play with Blackberry, pretending
: I'm working. Sometimes I take Silly Penis for a pee.
: Today I ventured Outisde for the first time in years
: and years. I had to go to Economy Department to talk
: to stupid Bureaucrats. When I get back to Room I'm
: tired and put on my PJ's. Then I take Crayons and draw
: a picture of stupid Bureaucrats hanging on Rope. Then
: I go back to reading Book, I finish it and then crawl
: to Computer to write to imaginary Friends on
: internet's Book Club. Then I go back to Room, hide
: under Duvet, and try to switch off.
:
:
:
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